Automatic train-pipe coupling.



L. C. CARY.

AuToMATlc TRAIN PIPE couPLmG.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l2. |910.

Patented May 9,1916.

fue coLunnlA mum eo.. WAsHmu'rN. DA c.

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

LEWIS .CLEAVLAND CARY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MEASNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AUTOMATIC AIR-LOCK TRAIN-PIPES COUPLERS COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed April 12, 1910. Serial N o. 555,096.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS C. CARY, of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, and in the State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Train-Pipe Couplings, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichd Figure 1 is a side elevation of a train pipe coupler embodying my invention shown as supported by the draw bar of a car coupler; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 the arms 13 being omitted; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through two interlocked coupler heads, a portion only of one head being shown; and Fig-4 is a detail view of one of the coupler suspending straps.

My invention relates to automatic traln pipe couplings, and my object is to improve the mechanism which is shown in my United States Patent No. 930,041, dated Aug. 3, 1909, to the end that fewer parts may be required to perform the functions of the apparatus embodying my invention, as set forth in said application, and the efficiency of the mechanism increased, and to these ends my invention consists in the automatlc train pipe coupling having the construction of parts substantially as hereinafter speellied and claimed.

In its general construction, the apparatus in which my improvements which form the subject of this application are embodied, is similar to that of my above-mentioned patent, in that the equipment at each end of a car is alike, each comprising a couplmg head 10 that is supported by or suspended from the car coupler 11, as hereinafter described, and which comprises a body 12 having on opposite sides a forwardly extending arm 13 and a forwardly opening chamber 14, and a port carrying block 19 mounted in a recess in the body 12, so as to be slidable a short distance transversely of the head.

With this general description of the apparatus as a preliminary, I will now proceed with the detailed description of the apparatus, from which will appear the particulars in which my present improvements differ from the subject of my aforesaid patent.

For causing the movement of the port carrying block, it has attached to it a tubular or hollow rod 24a, to the end of which is secured a piston 26 in a cylinder 27, projecting laterally from one side of the coupler head 12, pressure upon one side of the piston serving to move the port carrying block toward the opposing block of a companion coupling head, while to move the port carrying block in the opposite direction there is secured to the piston rod 24a a cross arm 24 carrying anti-friction rollers 25 adapted by the engagement therewith of the arm 13 during an uncoupling operation to move the port carrying block in such opposite direction by a camming action, the arm 13 having a recess or cavity with an inclined surface 130 to produce the camming effect. Pressure is applied to the piston 26 both by means of a helical spring 26a interposed between the cylinder head and the piston, and by means of air under pressure taken from the train pipe line, and delivered to the cylinder through lthe hollow or tubular piston rod. The spring 26a is provided to preliminarily produce a joint forming contact between the port carrying blocks of opposing coupler heads, so as to make the joint suiciently tight, temporarily at least, for the transmission of air from one coupling head' to the other, and then the air passing into the cylinder 27 through the tubular piston rod maintains or preserves the joint between the ports of opposing coupler heads.

In addition to the camming action of the arm 13 upon the rollers 25, to separate the joint forming surfaces or gaskets of the port carrying blocks when the coupler heads are drawn apart, the arm 13 during a coupling operation also acts in a similar way to move a port carrying block so as to cause the retraction of the gaskets within the coupler head to avoid such striking together of the gaskets of opposing coupler heads during a coupling operation, as might tear them off or otherwise injure them. The effect of the movement of the port-carrying blocks by the arms 13 during an uncoupling opera' tion, is of course to break the air connection with the cylinder, but this does not dispense with the necessity of cutting olf the air to the ports, which must be done in the usual way.

Connected to the inner or rear end of the coupler body 12, and extending backward therefrom, is a beam or bracket 41 of a triangular form in side elevation, and pivotally connected or jointed to the rear end of said beam or bracket is the forward end of a piston rod 46 that has at its rear end a piston 47 in a cylinder 48, to the rear end of which the main air line pipe is connected for supplying air to move the piston in a forward direction. The piston rod 46 is tubular or hollow and at its forward end it has a coupling for one end of a flexible pipe 46a whose other end is connected to the air port of the port carrying block 19. It will be seen that by this arrangement air is taken from the cylinder 48 through the piston rod 46, and thus a simplified construction is secured, reducing the number of pipe connections required, and being otherwise more desirable. The connection between the coupler head and the bracket 41 is a vertically slidable one to allow such vertical movement of the coupler head as may be required to compensate for differences in the height of car bodies.

My train pipe coupler is suspended from or supported by the car coupler by means of hangers 30 and 31, there being preferably two for each coupler. The front hanger 30, as I prefer to construct it, is formed of two similar straps that are connected above and below the draw bar of the coupler by horizontal bolts 310, and each of said straps at its lower end is bent upward to form a vertically elongated hook 32 for engagement by a horizontally elongated loop 33 formed of a strap doubled or bent upon itself and attached to the coupler beam. Thus a connection between the train pipe coupler and the car coupler is provided that is simple and strong, and yet aEords all required facility for vertical and longitudinal movement of the train pipe coupler with reference to the car coupler.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a train pipe coupler, the combination of a coupler head member mounted for to and fro movement, a cylinder having a fluid pressure operated piston, a piston rod connected with said member to transmit movement of the piston thereto, said piston rod being hollow and opening into the cylinder on a pressure receiving side of the piston to transmit pressure therefrom, and

means to introduce pressure to the side of the piston to move it in the direction from which the piston rod extends from the piston.

2. In a train pipe coupler, the combination of a coupler head having a movable port carrying member, a cylinder having a fluid pressure operated piston, a hollow piston rod connected with the piston in communication with a source of supply of fluid under pressure and connected with said port carrying member to move it in the coupler head, and a spring acting to move the piston in the same direction in which it is moved by fluid pressure.

3. In a train pipe coupler, the combination of a coupler head having a movable port carrying member, a cylinder having a fluid pressure operated piston, a hollow piston rod in communication with a source of supply of fluid under pressure, and automatically acting cam-form means for moving the port carrying member in opposition to the fluid pressure actuating means. p

4. In a train pipe coupler, the combination of a coupler head having a movable port carrying member, a cylinderv having a fluid pressure operated piston, a hollow piston rod in communication with a source of supply of fluid under pressure, an arm having inclined surfaces, and an anti-friction roller for engagement by the arm of an opposing coupler head and connected with the port carrying member.

5. In a train pipe coupler, the combination of a draw bar, a train pipe coupler beam, a hanger suspended from the draw bar having a vertically elongated opening, and a horizontally elongated loop connected with the coupler beam and playing in said hanger opening.

6. In a train pipe coupler, the combination of a draw bar, a hanger consisting of a pair of straps having vertically elongated hooks, a train pipe coupler beam, and two horizontally elongated loops connected withV the coupler beam and engaging the hanger straps.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

LEWIS CLEAVLAND CARY. Witnesses:

W. C. WHITE, CHAs. E. PUTMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. C. 

